The English Wife & Literary Allusions
Today was to be the day that the winner of The English Wife by Lauren Willig was to be announced. I say was because it has come to my attention that there have been some snafus with Disqus. (See original Giveaway post here.)
Several of you have contacted me to say that you’ve been unable to log in to Disqus to leave a comment in order to complete your entrance into the contest. I’ve been working with Disqus to resolve this issue. At this time, they’ve assured me that the problem has been addressed. (Apparently Whiskers On Kittens was not the only blog affected by this particular issue, which is a relief, as I’m still a Luddite where all things technical are concerned. Glad to know it wasn’t some setting I’d inadvertently activated on my side.)
That being said, I feel it only right to extend the deadline for The English Wife Giveaway. The contest will be open until January 28, 2018 at 11:59 P.M. If you were able to enter on the last post (see here), your entry is still valid. Have no fear, your names are in the hat for the picking. If you were one of the unfortunates who tried to log in and were denied access, please, try again. If the issue persists for you, contact me again and we’ll come up with a solution. Point being, dear readers, is I want you to have every available chance to win this book. I have enjoyed it thoroughly, going so far as to say that it is my favorite by Lauren Willig to date.
And there’s more…
I’m amending the entry qualifications. I have been beseeched by a few readers who really want a chance at the win to open the playing field. It seems you all enjoy allusions, but not all of you make special note of them for your future blog posts (that would be me). Since it is my desire to have a community where we can all discuss the things we love about literature and film and music- in this case the allusions found therein- I am adding options.
Here are the amended qualifications for your chance to win The English Wife by Lauren Willig:
Be a resident in the United States. (Unfortunately, at present, all contests held at Whiskers On Kittens are restricted to the United States. For my foreign readers, know that I’m working on changing this.)
Be a subscriber to Whiskers On Kittens
Choose from one of these three options:
Leave a comment at the end of this post about one of your favorite allusions. It can be an allusion in a film, a song, or a book. (e.g. The character of Mr. Keating in the film Dead Poet’s Society does a spectacular rendition of Is this a dagger I see before me invoking John Wayne. It’s a brilliant allusion to the Shakespearean play MacBeth as well as a cultural allusion to the iconic movie star John Wayne. A double whammy of allusions if you will.) Furthermore, it does not have to be a Shakespearean allusion. If there is a particular allusion to Harry Potter that just does it for you, by all means, tell us about it.
If you can’t recall an allusion you’ve loved in the past, you can go to any one of the posts listed below these directions and pick either one that you enjoy. (You can also just pick a line that you love, too. It doesn't have to be an allusion, though those are my favorites, along with good metaphors.) Copy and paste the one you like into the comments section in this post and tell us all why you like it.
Give the answer to where one of the allusions listed below in this post, all from The English Wife, comes from and post your answer(s) in the comments section below.
Now, for the fun part. I have been so bowled over by the plethora of allusions and literary references and quotes in The English Wife. I just had to include a couple that were just fantastic for your reading pleasure.
All the following four lines are from Shakespeare. Can you tell me which plays?
“But then in Illyria, nothing was as it was, was it?”
“‘Best to nip any country matters in the bud.’ Georgie quickened her pace, forcing the American to length his stride in response. ‘As long as you’re not offering to put your head in my lap.’”
“‘You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen Birnham Wood show its shimmy all the way to Dunsinane.’”
“‘I’m not looking for a prince— or baronet.’
‘What about a mere mister?’
Georgie stabbed her fork into her pie. ‘Not until man is made of some other metal than earth.’”
To be fair, this next is referencing both a Shakespearean sonnet and a poem by one of his contemporaries, and, if Shakespeare in Love is to be believed, one of his friends. Can you tell me the Shakespearean sonnet or the poem and poet’s name of his contemporary?
“‘You’re my fixed mark, my compass, my lode star.’ Freeing one hand, Bay put a finger under her chin, tipping her face up to see him. ‘We don’t need to go back to New York straightaway. We’ll go to Paris and Venice; we’ll travel the outer corners of the earth. Marry me— under whatever name you choose, so long as you live with me and be my love.’”
Pretty romantic stuff, no? It’s also mildly intriguing. Why would she have to marry him under an assumed name? You’ll just have to enter for a chance to win to find out…
Next are two allusions that are not Shakespeare related at all.
What detective could be referenced here? Here’s a hint: The English Wife takes place in 1894 and 1899. This detective had been in print for little more than ten years at that time.
“There was no keen-eyed detective to put together a tiny shred of fabric here and particular blend of tobacco there and, like that, produce a villain from the air.”
Lastly, what mythological characters could be referenced here? Hint: Almost every composer of opera, particularly the early ones, composed an opera about these characters.
“‘Does anyone truly escape from Hades?’ He made no attempt to hide his mockery at this time; it dripped from his tongue as sweet and deadly as jam made from poisonous berries. ‘The underworld tends to keep its own.’ ”
Good luck, dear readers. Let the games begin (or continue, in this case).
This contest is open to current as well as new subscribers. To subscribe, scroll to the bottom of the post and fill out the form. When you click subscribe, you will be sent an email requesting that you verify your email address. Once you do so, you will receive a Welcome email in your inbox. Please add Whiskers On Kittens to your address book so that you can be kept abreast of all the latest- be it posts or upcoming giveaways- here at Whiskers.
Whiskers On Kittens uses Disqus as her comments moderator (to minimize spam for you all, dear readers). It is very simple to sign in (at least, we hope this time around it is). If you have a Google, Facebook, or Twitter account, you can log in via those sources. Or, if you’re like me, you can create a Disqus account, which gives you access to their app.
The contest will be open from 12 A.M. January 16, 2018 until January 28, 2018 at 11:59 P.M. Central Time. The winner will be notified by email and announced on January 22nd here at Whiskers On Kittens as well as on Facebook and Instagram (links to follow both are at the bottom of the page).
I’ll provide the answers on next Monday’s post when the winner is announced. Good luck, all. Or as Henry the Fifth’s younger Bedford said in Shakespeare’s play, Farewell, good Salisbury, and good luck go with thee!
